Hydraulic machine



May 3 N34. c. SCHMITTHENNER HYDRAULIC MACHINE Filed Sept. 15, 1933 Y 1lii'v'ENlui CARLOS SCHM ITTHENNER BY W "h".

' AITORNEY' .l atented may l, 1934 RAULIC MAC Carlos Sc Ir a: tthenner,ll-lleidenheim on the Brena, Germany, assignor, to if. M. Voith,

lilleidenheim-on-the-Brenz,

Germany, a copartnership composed of Walther Voith, Hermann Voith, andHanna Voith.

Application September 15, 1933, Serial No. 689,576 lln Germany September12, 1932 ll) Claims. (Cl. 253-448) This invention relates to hydraulicmachines, such as hydraulic turbines, pumps and the like, v and moreparticularly to the type of hydraulic machines having impellers withmovable or adjustable blades, and is a continuation in part of anotherapplication for Letters Patent of the United States filed by me February9, 1931, Serial No. 514,379, now Patent No. 1,939,229, granted December12, 1933.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved hydraulic machinehaving adjustable blades, in which the trunnions of said blades aremounted in a hollow hub containing lubricating oil.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved hydraulicmachine of the above type in which lubricating oil is supplied underpres- I sure to the hub of the impeller of the hydraulic machine from anoil tank mounted on the shaft of the impeller.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved hydraulicmachine of the above type in which means are provided for replenishingoil in the oil tank while the hydraulic machine is in operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved hydraulicmachine of the above type in which means are provided for automaticallyregulating the pressure of the lubricating oil in the runner hub.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved hydraulicmachine of the character mentioned, which is simple in construction, andreliable and exact in function under all conditions of service.

The invention also comprises certain new and useful improvements in theconstruction, arra. ement and combination of the several parts of whichit is composed, as will be hereinafter 4,0 more fully described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawing:- l igure 1 is a vertical section of aKaplan type of hydraulic turbine showing the application of my inventionthereto; and Fig. 2 is a section taken at right angle to Fig. 1,

showing theoil pump and its actuating mechanism.

Hydraulic machines of the adjustable blade type may have a fluidpressure operated servo motor for adjusting the impeller blades toeffect a change in position thereof. Hydraulic turbines of this typehave gone into successful use, these turbines being known as the Kaplantype. A turbine of this type is shown and described in United StatesLetters Patent No. 1,467,672 granted September 11, 1923 to VictorKaplan.

The hubs of the impellers of the above type of hydraulic machines arefilled with oil for lubricating the blade operating mechanism within theimpeller hub.

In my above mentioned Patent No. 1,939,229 the lubricating oil isdescribed as being supplied to the hub of the impeller by means wherebythe pressure of the oil within the hub is maintained higher than theoutside water pressure about the blades of the impeller.

The present invention relates more particularly to specific mechanicaldetails for supplying oil under pressure to the hub of the impeller 70from a suitable reservoir carried by the shaft of the hydraulic machine,and also to means whereby the pressure of the oil can be maintained at adesired constant pressure. Another feature of the present invention andnot shown or described in my earlier application for Letters Patentabove mentioned, is the means whereby the supply of oil in the reservoircan be replenished during operation of the hydraulic machine.

Referring to the drawing and especially to Fig. 1, the Kaplan type ofhydraulic machine to which my invention is shown applied may comprise arunner or impeller having a hollow hub B fixed to the lower end of ahollow shaft B A suitable number of blades C are rotatably supported inthe hub B and project radially there- The inner end of each blade C isformed with a trunnion C which is journalled in hearings or bushings Cand C supported in the hub. The construction is such that the blades arerotatable into diiierent angular relationship with the axis of therunner.

Means are provided for simultaneously rotating all of the blades C andfor maintaining them in equal angular relationship, such meanscomprising preferably, links a and a cross head a said links beingconnected to a collar C on the trunnions C and to the cross head by apin 11*.

At a suitable distance above the runner, the shaft B is enlarged, as atB and in this enlarged portion there is a servo motor A.

The enlarged portion of the'runner shaft B is formed with a flange Bwhich is coupled to a flange 4 of another hollow or tubular shaft 5. 0Shaft 5 may be connected to the shaft of an electrical generatingapparatus or to the shaft of any other mechanism adapted to be driven bythe turbine (not shown).

The servo motor A may comprise a movable llG abutment or piston,disposed in the enlarged portion of shaft B between the upperand loweroil pressure chambers 2 and 3.

Disposed within the hollow shaft 5 is a spindle or rod 7 from a governoror other similar controlling apparatus (not shown), said rod beingconnected to the piston of the servo motor A.

Disposed within the hollow runner shaft B and connected to the servomotor A at one end and to the cross head a at the other end, is aspindle or rod a Movement of the servo motor A will thus be transmittedby spindle or rod a to the cross head a, and from said cross head suchmovement will be transmitted by the links a to the runner blades C,thereby effecting an adjustment or change in position of said bladescorresponding to the movement of the servo motor A.

The hollow runner hub B is adapted to be supplied with oil forlubricating the runner blade operating mechanism, as well as thetrunnions of the runner blades.

In order to keep the oil pressure inside the hub B higher than the waterpressure on the blades C, at "the outer portions of the bearings orbushings C the blades are made water tight by means of any suitablepacking devices or seals C against which the pressure water flows by,the pressure depending on the head of the installation. The annularpassage 8 in shaft B is used for filling the oil into the runner hub Band into which oil can be directed from the top.

The lubricating oil for the runner hub B is contained in an oil tank orchamber D mounted on the runner shaft B at a suitable point above therunner.

Disposed within the tank D is a pump D which is connected by pipe d tothe annular passage 8 within shaft B A bore b in shaft B connects theannular passage 8 with an overflow valve 12 adjusted to the desiredmaximum pressure. The overflow oil from valve b is returned to tank D.

The adjustment of valve b is such that the pressure of the oil in therunner hub 13 is maintained high enough to prevent any entrance of waterinto the runner hub, without undue oil leakage from the latter.

The oil pump D rotating with the runner shaft B may be arranged in sucha way, that its operation is derived from the rotary movement of therunner shaft.

In the present case, I have shown the pump D as having a drive shaft 11which is arranged parallel to the main shaft B At its upper end thedrive shaft :1 is provided with a rocker arm and roller (1 the latterbearing against a stationary eccentric runway E. The stroke of therocker arm of pump D depends upon the eccentricity of runway E.

With this arrangement, overflow valve b assumes partly the functions ofthe oil pressure accumulator described in my Patent No. 1,939,229, 1. c.it holds the oil pressure constant. The necessary quantity of oil, whichin my above mentioned application is contained in the accumulatoritself, is here contained in tank D.

The present invention furthermore embodies a design so that adisplacement of the spindle or rod a will not cause any displacement ofoil in the hub B. For this purpose the. lower end of the spindle d isnot free in the oil chamber of the runner hub but it is carried, withthe same Thus a displacement of the spindle a will not alter the volumeof the parts contained in the runner hub B and the oil supplying devicewill not be called upon for large variations of oil quantities.

As shown in Fig. 1, immediately above the oil tank or chamber D, therunner shaft B passes through an opening 9 in a floor 10. Only afragmentary portion of the floor is shown in the drawing, since it iscommon practice in powerhouse installations to provide such floors atdesirable points. As shown, if so desired the runway E may be secured tothe underside of the floor 10, the opening 9 in the floor conforming tothe shape of the runway.

The top of the oil tank D is formed with an opening 11 which is slightlylarger in diameter than the diameter of the runner shaft 13 Projectinginto the opening 11, is the lower end of a pipe 12 leading from a funnel13, or the like. In this way additional quantities of oil can bedelivered to the tank D while the turbine is in operation,-since thefunnel 13 and pipe 12 are stationary with respect 'to the revolving oiltank D.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:-

1. In a device of the character described, the

combination with an impeller having movable, blades iournalled in ahollow hub containing lubricating oil, of a hollow shaft connected tosaid hub, an oil chamber surrounding said shaft, a pump in said chamberfor forcing oil under pressure from said chamber to said hub throughsaid hollow shaft, means for controlling the pressure of the oil in saidhub, and means operas journalled in a hollow hub, said hub containinglubricating oil, a hollow shaft connected to said hub, an oil chambersurrounding said shaft, a pump disposed in said chamber for deliveringoil under pressure through said hollow shaft to said hub, and meansactuated by the rotation of said shaft for operating said pump.

3. A hydraulic machine comprising an impeller having adjustable bladesjournalled in a hollow hub containing lubricating oil, a .hollow shaftconnected to said hub, means for adjusting the impeller blades, an oiltank surrounding said shaft, a pump actuated by the rotation of saidshaft for supplying oil under pressure from'said tank to said hubthrough said shaft, and valve means operatively connected, to said shaftfor controlling the pressure of the oil.

4. A hydraulic machine comprising an impeller having adjustable bladesjournalled in a hollow hub containing lubricating oil, a hollow shaftconnected to said hub, a servo motor mounted in the shaft andoperatively connected with the impeller blades foradjusting thepositions thereof, an oil tank mounted on said shaft, a pump actuated bythe rotation of said shaft for supplying oil under pressure to said hub,and a valve device connected to said shaft for controlling the pressureof'the oil.

5. A hydraulic machine of the class described comprising animpellerhaving adjustable blades joumalled in a hollow hub, a hollowshaft connected to said hub, means for supplying lubricating oil to saidhub comprising an oil chamber carried by said shaft, a pump disposed insaid chamber for delivering oil under pressure through memes said hollowshaft to said hub, and means actuated by the rotation of said shaft foroperating said pump.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination with animpeller having movable blades journalled in a hollow hub, of a hollowshaft connected to said hub, means for supplying lubricating oil to saidhub comprising an oil chamber mounted on said shaft, means for pumpingoil from said chamber to said hub, and a valve device within saidchamber and operatively connected to said shaft for controlling thepressure ofthe oil.

- 7. In a device of the character described,. the combination with animpeller having movable blades journalled in a hollow hub, of a hollowshaft connected to said hub, means for supplying lubricating oil to saidhub comprising an oil chamber surrounding said shaft, means for forcingoil under pressure from said chamber to said hub, a valve device in saidchamber for controlling the pressure of the oil in said hub, and meansoperatively associated with said oil chamber for delivering fresh oil tosaid chamber during operation of said impeller.

8. In a device of the character described, the

.combination with an impeller having movable blades journalled in ahollow hub, of a hollow shaft connected to said hub, means for supplyinglubricating oil under pressure to said hub comprising an oil chambersurrounding said shaft, means in said chamber for pumping oil from saidchamber to said hub, a valve device for controlling the pressure of theoil, and means operatively associated with said oil chamber fordelivering fresh oil thereto during the operation of said impeller.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination with a runnerhaving movable blades jcurnalled in a hollow hub, of a hollow shaftconnected to the hub, a servo motor mounted in said shaft andoperatively connected with the runner blades, for adjustingthe relativepositions thereof, an oil chamber mounted'on the runner shaft, means forpumping oil from said chamber and delivering the oil to said hub, avalve device operatively connected to the interior of the runner shaftfor controlling the pressure of the oil, and means for operating saidoil pumping means comprising a drive shaft parallel to said runnershaft, a rocker arm operatively connected to said drive shaft, astationary eccentric runway, and a roller on said rocker arm operativelyengaging said runway. v

10. In a device of the character described, the combination with arunner having movable blades journalled in a hollow hub, of a hollowshaft connected to the hub, a servo motor mounted in said shaft andoperatively connected with the runner blades, for adjusting the relativepositions thereof, an oil chamber mounted on the runner shaft, a pumpfor pumping oil from said chamber to said hub, a valve deviceoperativelyconnected to the interior of the runner shaft for controllingthe pressure of the oil, means for operating said oil pump comprising adrive shaft parallel to said runner shaft, a rocker arm operativelyconnected to said drive shaft, a stationary eccentric runway, and aroller on said rocker arm operatively engaging said runway, and meansoperatively associated with the oil chamber for delivering fresh oilthereto during the operation of the runner.

CARLOS SCHMITTHENNER.

